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Murray keeps quiet on indepedence

Andy Murray will not make his views on Scottish independence known because he does not want a repeat of the furore that followed his comments about the England football team.

Murray joked in an interview ahead of the 2006 World Cup that he would be supporting anyone but England and the remark has dogged him ever since.

It is still cited by some English people as a reason not to support him, even though Murray has explained many times that it was not a serious comment.

As one of Scotland's highest-profile celebrities, were Murray to express his opinion ahead of the independence referendum, it would be a big story, even though as a resident of England he cannot vote.

Murray said: " I will take a position. My thoughts on it aren't that relevant, because I can't vote myself.

"I wouldn't personally choose to make my feelings on something like that public either because not a whole lot of good comes from it.

"I don't know a whole lot about politics, and I have made that mistake in the past and it's caused me a headache for seven or eight years of my life and a lot of abuse.

"So I wouldn't consider getting involved in something like that ever again."

Murray was speaking after beating Lukas Rosol 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

His comments are a reversal of what he said following his Wimbledon triumph last summer, when he stated he would say what side he was on once he had made up his mind.

Murray spends a lot more time in America these days than in Scotland, with Miami his base for pre-season training and other blocks during the year.

He said: "I love the States. I have loved it since the first time I came for the Orange Bowl when I was 11 years old.

"I just enjoy the positivity of the people here. You wake up at 6am and go to Starbucks and the person that's serving you just genuinely seems happy to see you. They are awake and just have a positive outlook on life.

"It's not the case everywhere. That's why I always enjoy coming here and why I spend my off seasons training here and why I have made Miami my second home."

Murray will head to Miami at the end of this tournament for the Masters series event there later this month.

While that has been one of his most successful tournaments - Murray has won the title twice and reached another final - he has found life more difficult at Indian Wells.

He did reach the final in 2009 but since then he has made two quarter-finals and lost his first match twice, against Donald Young and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

He looked in serious danger of making another early exit when he trailed Rosol, who famously upset Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012, by a set and a break.

But Murray gradually got a hold on the barrage of winners coming from the other end and turned things around to set up a third-round meeting with another Czech, 20-year-old Jiri Vesely.

Murray said of his struggles here: " I think it's important sometimes to think about it because when you're not expecting it to happen and then it does, obviously it can take you by surprise and you might panic a little bit or worry.

"I was a set and a break down. I got broken three times in a row at the end of the first set and beginning of the second. I just kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing.

"Sometimes I have taken quite long breaks after the Australian Open and trained and maybe come in with not enough matches.

"Often I play well in Miami just after so maybe this year will be different. I've played a few more matches to get ready here, and hopefully that will help me."

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